Ouderkerk aan de Amstel

Peace and quiet just outside the city

Ouderkerk aan de Amstel offers a scenic refuge from the hustle and bustle of its infamous neighbour to the north. Visitors typically head to the village to take in its architecture, which includes historic churches, houses and De Zwaan (an impressive windmill). There’s also Beth Haim of Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, the Netherlands’ oldest Jewish cemetery. It opened in 1614 and features elaborate tombstones that include human figures. Among the cemetery’s most famous residents: Rabbi Menasseh Ben Israel, a colleague and collaborator of Rembrandt, and the Moroccan diplomat Samuel Pallache.